God and Country Music: Eric Church’s “Springsteen” Is Sort of Like Heaven

Last updated on: October 7, 2013 at 8:30 am by Nick Rynerson

God and Country Music: Eric Church’s “Springsteen” Is Sort of Like Heaven 2013-10-07T06:55:13-06:00 Nick Rynerson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I don’t listen to the radio very often. It’s not that I don’t like the radio—the real issue is that I am a CD junkie and my truck is my sound booth. Lately I have been listening to Rhett Miller’s live cover album The Interpreter and Jason Isbell’s new album Southeastern. But when I am with my wife, the radio gets some love. On my way to the grocery store last weekend my wife and I were listening to country music radio and my ears were piqued by a fantastic song: “Springsteen” by Eric Church.

Despite having spent minimal time with the radio on, I know the song by heart. It’s gotten pretty solid airplay for at least the last two years, and it is one of my favorite mainstream country tunes. “Springsteen” has staying power. It’s an incredibly listenable tune with a pleasantly driving rhythm and good lyrics. While it’s no “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (then again, nothing is), it is an utterly pleasant song. The heart of Church’s “Springsteen” is memory—longing for a past love, and a desire to relive it. The song effectively brings the listener into Church’s own nostalgia.

I have covered nostalgia before in God and County Music, but this kind of nostalgia is a little bit different. Church’s “Springsteen” isn’t longing for an era that is gone, but a past event captured in a personal memory. The difference is massive. Generational nostalgia comes from an idea of something that was either never experienced, or only experienced impartially. Church’s nostalgia comes from a direct, specific experience. Somehow, both kinds of nostalgia make an amazing (and half-true) world out of the past, but the world Church’s nostalgia creates is a personal one.

Memories have power. A smell, a song, a phrase, or a photo can let in a flood of potent emotions without any warning. There are times that, driving down a certain road, I have been suddenly overcome by a wave of sentimentality because of some small memory associated with the road—and I assume that I am not alone in this recurrent experience. When Church sings,

Even though you’re a million miles away

When you hear Born in the USA

You relive those glory days

So long ago

I am inclined to think that he is probably right.

Part of the brilliance of Church’s song (which, impressively, Church wrote himself) is in its association of memories with simple triggers such as a song by Bruce Springsteen. Heck, Born To Run was in my CD player on my wedding day, so now I can’t listen to “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” without thinking nostalgically about putting on my suit and taking pre-wedding photos with my bride-to-be. In my memory, my wedding day was perfect. Now, in reality it was not perfect, but for the rest of my life, whenever I listen to The Boss I will look back on my wedding day with idyllic joy.

Even crappy times get this treatment. For example: high school football. When I hear certain songs or go to a high school football game at my alma mater, I am flooded with euphoric nostalgia—even though I was a mediocre football player and I sat out my entire senior year because of injuries.

A “realistic” song about a 17-year old kid would be depressing. It would be all about awkwardness and insecurity with a sprinkling of good moments. By contrast, Church’s song glorifies a time that was probably not glorious all the way through. But that is okay, natural even. It may even be more “real” than a precise portrayal of the time.

CS Lewis called memories a glimpse of the restoration of creation. According to Lewis, God has given us “glorified memories” to point us to the coming consummation of creation. He says,

“This glorification is not only promised, it is already foreshadowed. The dullest of us knows how memory can transfigure; how often some momentary glimpse of beauty in boyhood is

‘a whisper, which memory will warehouse as a shout’

“…That is the beginning of glorification. One day [our memories] will be more radiant still. Thus in the sense-bodies of the redeemed the whole New Earth will arise. It was sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption…” (Lewis, Letters To Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer)

Lewis would see pure truth in Church’s recollection of his youth, even though a videotape of the remembered events may not look as glorious. That is because memories are “ sown in corruption” but “raised in incorruption” in our minds. Therefore, Church is recounting a reality yet to come based on something that has already happened. In a way, the song “Springsteen” is a glimpse of heaven—perfect harmony where we will all “be so alive, never been so free.”

Country music is packed with this kind of nostalgia (for another example, see below), and this is especially clear if considered in light of the coming redemption of creation and the redemptive longing that humans have. Country songs rooted in memories—songs like “Springsteen”—can give us a little picture of restored creation.

God and Country Music

Heaven

Memories

Springsteen

Previous Post

October 7, 2013

Free Will Is Real, But Not so Simple

Next Post

October 7, 2013 ELSEWHERE: Reading Literary Fiction Develops Empathy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz